High prevalence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in bats and bat ectoparasites from China

Expanded diversity of novel hemoplasmas in rare and undersampled Neotropical bats

“…Although we previously characterized two genotypes in Neoeptesicus furinalis (EF1 and EF2, with the former also identified here) [ 4 ], we identified a third, novel genotype (EF3) in a single Neoeptesicus furinalis , with 99.4% identity to EF1. This new EF3 genotype also was 97.6% identical to C Mhh isolates (e.g., MT077859 and GU562823), exceeding similarity to this human hemoplasma previously observed for the EF1 and EF2 genotypes and representing similar or greater levels of relatedness to C Mhh as previously observed in Miniopterus and Myotis bats in Europe and Asia as well as Eidolon , Chaerophon , and Rousettus bats in Africa [ 5 , 7 , 9 ]. However, given that the average substitution rate for the 16S rRNA gene is estimated to be approximately 1–2% per 50 million years [ 19 ], these bat hemoplasmas and C Mhh likely separated from a common ancestor 60–120 million years ago.…”

“…Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are facultative intracellular bacteria that are emerging as a model group of bat pathogens [ 3 ]. Sampling has uncovered substantial genetic diversity of bat hemoplasmas [ [4] , [5] , [6] ], including high similarity to a human hemoplasma (i.e., Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis, C Mhh) that may indicate zoonotic transmission [ 7 , 8 ]. However, sampling has focused on particular geographies and clades of bats, leaving taxonomic gaps in understanding how hemoplasma diversity is distributed globally and which bats may harbor potentially zoonotic hemoplasmas [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…However, sampling has focused on particular geographies and clades of bats, leaving taxonomic gaps in understanding how hemoplasma diversity is distributed globally and which bats may harbor potentially zoonotic hemoplasmas [ 2 , 3 ]. For example, most bat hemoplasma surveys have focused on species in Central and South America, with limited attention to bats in North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia [ 5 , 9 ]. Even within well-sampled regions of Central and South America, there is substantial variation in survey effort, with hemoplasmas of common vampire bats ( Desmodus rotundus ) being notably well-characterized while those of rarer species (e.g., Myotis spp., Micronycteris spp., Noctilio spp., phyllostomines such as Mimon cozumelae and Trachops cirrhosus ) have been minimally sampled [ 4 , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ].…”

Advances in understanding bat infection dynamics across biological scales

“…)–Hendra virus system, loss of native foraging habitat combined with planting of cultivated trees in urban and agricultural areas has brought bats into closer proximity with humans and horses, thereby increasing viral spillover risk [8,121]. More data are needed on the ways, frequency and duration in which humans and bats contact each other to improve estimates of spillover risk [122–124].…”

Characterization of the bacterial microbiome of non-hematophagous bats and associated ectoparasites from Brazil

“…and Eyndhovenia sp.) collected from insectivorous bats harbored Bartonella genotypes associated with Bartonella mayotimonensis ( Han et al, 2022 ) as well as hemoplasma genotypes, including one with high similarity to the human-pathogenic ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis ’ ( Wang et al, 2023 ). In midwestern Brazil, Ikeda et al (2020) demonstrated the presence of Ehrlichia sp., closely related to E. ruminantum and E. minasensis , in Macronyssidae ( Steatonyssus sp.)…”